Optimization of DC microgrid for rural applications in India

Abstract

This paper presents planning and optimization of DC microgrid for rural applications in India. Load profile of a village in Chhattisgarh state of India is considered for the study. Hourly data of solar irradiation & wind speeds and prices of the various components of the microgrid are also obtained. Using these data, a model of DC microgrid is constructed in Homer Energy™ software. Simulations are then carried out to determine the optimal system configuration which has the lowest life cycle cost for autonomous operation. A special case study for with a partial connectivity to the grid is also conducted. The study also gives a detailed analysis of the various cost components, energy productions, power management and emissions.